Modern Magic - Shanice 3
#2 of Modern Magic - Shanice
Just a story idea I've been playing around with for a while. A girl out shopping finds that magic, far from being a fantasy of the past, is real, and that it can do some interesting things.
Shanice was almost wriggling with anticipation as she got dressed in Saturday morning, she'd been waiting a week for this. Sure she wouldn't be as big as she had been the weekend before, but then she'd been happy to just amble around the house, whereas today... No, she tried to calm herself down, she wouldn't act like an over-eager child with a new toy, even though that's what she felt like. She would get dressed, have breakfast and do her teeth in a calm, collected fashion so as not to arouse suspicion, and then when she was out, that was when the fun would begin
Once Shanice had turned the corner at the end of the street, and was sure non-one was paying attention, she pulled out her phone. She really wanted to get big, twins or even triplets, but this was a test run, so she limited herself to a single child, and that at just seven months. The 'punch-in-the gut' sensation was definitely softer this time, and her belly didn't swell nearly as much as it had before, but it was still exhilarating. It was also much easier to move, she found, as she set off for bus-stop. Her gait wasn't quite a waddle in the fullest sense, but definitely wouldn't have counted as a walk any more. Of course, while it was easier to move with just one baby in her, she definitely noticed the effect it had on her speed, the normally three-minute walk to the bus-stop now taking more like twice the time. She was mildly dismayed on arriving at the bus-stop to find that the next bus wasn't for 20 minutes, but the dismay didn't last long as she quickly realised that she could use the time to experiment.
Shanice groaned as she saw the bus approaching the bus-stop, she should have watched the time! Unfortunately she hadn't, and so found herself thirty yards away from the stop, and with triplets at full term. The bus was only moments away now, too close to allow her the time to change back, so in desperation she raised her hand and waddled as fast as possible for the stop. Fortunately, the bus waited as she approached, and as she got on, the driver asked, "are you okay miss?"
"Yeah," Shanice panted as she got on, and dug her purse out of her bag, "just gotta rem...remember t...leave a bit...more time th...these days."
"If you're sure," the driver said doubt fully. Shanice didn't reply, but nodded her thanks as she got her ticket and moved to find a seat. Fortunately, the bus was only about half full, so finding a seat near the door was pretty easy. Not fancying the idea of trying wedge herself into a normal pew seats she ended up sitting in a side seat.
Once she was seated and the bus took off, Shanice reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Bringing up the program, she was about to 'downsize' to her initially planned single baby, but hesitated, the bus was about half full, and she suddenly felt self-conscious, what if someone noticed her changing size? After a few moments though, she decided against doing anything just yet, that could wait until she reached the mall, and put the phone away and simply tried to catch her breath.
Two stops away, Shanice watched as a woman got on with two children of about five years old, a girl and a boy. As the woman dug out her purse the boy looked around and came over to her, "wow, you're really fat."
She saw the woman look up, "Terence, come here at once."
"But-" the boy began.
"Excuse me a moment," the woman said to the driver, them came forward and grabbed the child be the wrist, towing him towards the front of the bus, "I said come here now young man." Once she finished paying the driver, the woman, still gripping the boy's wrist approached Shanice again, "I am so sorry about that, he-"
"Think nothing of it," Shanice replied, "you can't expect a child that age to really know about, well, you know."
"Thank you," the woman looked relieved at that, then indicating the pew, "you don't mind if we sit here do you?"
"Not at all," Shanice replied.
"Thanks," the woman replied, sitting down, and then taking the girl onto her lap side-saddle style, while strong-arming Terence into the seat next to her, "I'm Lillian by the way."
"Shanice," she replied, then looked down at the girl, "hello, and what's your name?" The girl didn't answer, but turned away shyly, "not interested?"
"Julia, please don't be rude," the woman said, then turned to Shanice, "so sorry, I really don't know what's got into them today I'm afraid."
"Oh it's no trouble," Shanice replied, "I mean they're only what, four, five?"
"Julia's five and Terence is four," Lillian replied.
"Ah, the age of innocence," Shanice replied, smiling, "or at least, the age of being able to get away with stuff because they're cute."
"The latter I think," Lillian replied, smiling ruefully, "these two can be right terrors sometimes."
"I think all kids can, can't they," Shanice asked.
"Maybe," Lillian said.
After a minute, Shanice noticed that Lillian was looking discomforted, and so asked, "is something up?"
"I'm so sorry," Lillian said, "I know this sounds rude but..."
"How far along am I?" Shanice guessed. When Lillian nodded guiltily, she smiled and replied, "thirty-four weeks, and triplets at that."
"They, they must be quite a burden," Lillian said.
"They are," Shanice admitted, "but they'll only be in there a little while longer."
"Whoof," Shanice said, almost losing her balance as she stepped off the bus, she'd known that she was heavier now, but hadn't expected it to be that bad.
"You need some help miss," the bus driver asked, standing up.
"No, no it's okay," Shanice replied, steadying herself before stepping up onto the footpath, "I'm good, but thanks for asking." Turning around to look at the mall, she almost groaned at the distance she'd have to go, why did she have to be so eager to experiment? Still, nothing for it now, she didn't dare change out here, and so, setting her sights, she set off.
By the time Shanice got to the mall entrance, she was almost ready to collapse, she'd thought triplets were hard enough to deal with back home, out here they were a punishment. Still, she was so close now, so best to push ahead. Fortunately, there was a seat not far inside the door, into which she collapsed gratefully, yep, she'd have to be way more careful next time.